To date, sound reproduction devices capable of outputting a predetermined sound from loudspeakers have been known. As such sound reproduction devices, sound reproduction devices to which headphones are connectable, have been also known. In such a device to which headphones are connectable, an acoustic characteristic of a sound to be reproduced is changed according to whether or not the headphones are connected to the device. For example, when no headphones are connected (a sound is outputted from loudspeakers), an acoustic characteristic is adjusted so as to emphasize a bass sound, and when headphones are connected, a sound is outputted to the headphones without performing such an adjustment. In such a manner, an acoustic characteristic is changed according to whether or not headphones are connected.
In the sound reproduction device as described above, although an acoustic characteristic of a sound to be reproduced is changed according to whether or not headphones are connected, a content to be reproduced (for example, music to be reproduced) is not changed. An exemplary case is assumed where a plurality of sound reproduction devices are simultaneously used, and sounds representing different contents are outputted from loudspeakers of the sound reproduction devices, respectively. In such a case, when a user connects headphones to one of the sound reproduction devices, wears the headphones, and listens to a sound through the headphones, the user, who wears the headphones, cannot hear sounds outputted from (the loudspeakers) of the other sound reproduction devices, or merely can faintly hear the sounds even if the user can hear them at all.
Therefore, a feature of the exemplary embodiments is to make available a sound output system, an information processing apparatus, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having an information processing program stored therein, and a sound output control method each of which allows a user wearing headphones to listen to a sound as intended by a sound creator, even under a situation that, in a case where a sound composed by different sounds outputted from a plurality of sound output devices, respectively, being combined, is intended to be heard, the headphones are connected to one of the sound output devices, and the sound is heard through the headphones. In the description herein, the computer-readable storage medium may include, for example, a magnetic medium such as a flash memory, a ROM, and a RAM, or an optical medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a DVD-RAM.
The aforementioned feature can be attained by, for example, the following configurations.
A feature of the exemplary embodiment provides a sound output system that includes an information processing apparatus, a first output device having a first sound output section, and a second output device having a second sound output section. The information processing apparatus includes a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first output device, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second output device and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. Further, the second output device includes: a headphone connection section configured to connect headphones; a second sound output control section configured to output, from the second sound output section, a second sound based on the second sound signal, and to output, when the headphones are connected to the headphone connection section, the second sound from the headphones; and a connection notification section configured to notify the information processing apparatus whether or not the headphones are connected. The sound generation section generates, when the connection notification section notifies that the headphones are connected to the second output device, the second sound signal such that at least a part of a first sound which is based on the first sound signal and is not outputted as the second sound when no headphones are connected, is contained in the second sound.
According to the feature described above, also when a player wears headphones, the player is allowed to hear a sound (a sound as is outputted when no headphones are connected) as intended by a sound creator.
Furthermore, the sound generation section may generate the first sound signal based on predetermine music data and generates the second sound signal based on predetermined sound effect data, when no headphones are connected to the second output device, and may generate, when the headphones are connected to the second output device, the second sound signal such that at least a part of a sound represented by the predetermined music data is contained in the second sound.
Furthermore, the first output device may further include a first display section, the second output device may further include a second display section, and the information processing apparatus may further include an image generation section configured to generate a first image to be displayed on the first display section, and a second image to be displayed on the second display section.
Furthermore, the second output device may further include an operation data generation section configured to generate operation data based on an operation performed by a player, and the information processing apparatus may further include a game processing section configured to perform a game process based on the operation data.
Furthermore, another feature of the exemplary embodiment provides a sound output system that includes an information processing apparatus, a first output device having a first sound output section, and a second output device having a second sound output section. The information processing apparatus includes a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first output device, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second output device and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. The second output device includes: a headphone connection section configured to connect headphones; a second sound output control section configured to output, from the second sound output section, a second sound based on the second sound signal when no headphones are connected to the headphone connection section, and to output, when the headphones are connected to the headphone connection section, the second sound only from the headphones; and a connection notification section configured to notify the information processing apparatus whether or not the headphones are connected. The sound generation section generates a sound signal such that at least a part of a first sound which is based on the first sound signal and is not outputted as the second sound when no headphones are connected, is contained in the second sound, and generates a sound signal such that at least a part of the second sound which is not outputted as the first sound when no headphones are connected, is contained in the first sound, when the headphones are connected to the second output device.
According to the feature described above, also when a player is using headphones connected to the second output device, persons other than the player using the headphones are allowed to hear a sound as intended by a sound creator.
A still another feature of the exemplary embodiment provides a sound output system that includes an information processing apparatus, a first output device having a first sound output section, and a second output device having a second sound output section. The information processing apparatus includes a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first sound output section, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second sound output section and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. The second output device includes: a headphone connection section configured to connect headphones; a second sound output control section configured to output, from the second sound output section, a second sound based on the second sound signal when no headphones are connected to the headphone connection section, and to output, when the headphones are connected to the headphone connection section, the second sound only from the headphones; and a connection notification section configured to notify the information processing apparatus whether or not the headphones are connected. The sound generation section generates, when the headphones are connected to the second output device, a sound signal such that a sound that is not contained in a first sound and a second sound which are outputted when no headphones are connected, is contained in the second sound.
According to the feature described above, a sound that can be heard by a player only when headphones are connected, can be provided. Therefore, for example, when a game process is executed, an entertaining characteristic of the game can be enhanced.
A still another feature of the exemplary embodiment provides an information processing apparatus capable of outputting a sound signal to a first output device having a first sound output section, and to a second output device having: a second sound output section; and a headphone connection section that connects headphones. The information processing apparatus includes: a connection detection section configured to determine, by detection, whether or not the headphones are connected to the second output device; and a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first output device, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second output device and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. The sound generation section generates, when the headphones are connected to the second output device, the second sound signal such that at least a part of a first sound which is based on the first sound signal and is not outputted from the second sound output section when no headphones are connected, is contained in a second sound based on the second sound signal.
Furthermore, a still another feature of the exemplary embodiment provides an information processing apparatus capable of outputting a sound signal to a first output device having a first sound output section, and to a second output device having: a second sound output section; and a headphone connection section that connects headphones. The information processing apparatus includes: a connection detection section configured to determine, by detection, whether or not the headphones are connected to the second output device; and a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first output device, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second output device and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. The sound generation section generates a sound signal such that at least a part of a first sound which is based on the first sound signal and is not outputted as a second sound based on the second sound signal when no headphones are connected, is contained in the second sound, and generates a sound signal such that at least a part of the second sound which is not outputted as the first sound when no headphones are connected, is contained in the first sound, when the headphones are connected to the second output device.
Furthermore, a still another feature of the exemplary embodiment provides an information processing apparatus capable of outputting a sound signal to a first output device having a first sound output section, and to a second output device having: a second sound output section; and a headphone connection section that connects headphones. The information processing apparatus includes: a connection detection section configured to determine, by detection, whether or not the headphones are connected to the second output device; and a sound generation section configured to generate, based on predetermined information processing, a first sound signal to be outputted to the first output device, and a second sound signal that is a sound signal to be outputted to the second output device and has a sound content different from that of the first sound signal. The sound generation section generates, when the headphones are connected to the second output device, a sound signal such that a sound that is not contained in a first sound and a second sound which are outputted when no headphone are connected, is contained in the second sound.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when a sound is composed by different sounds outputted from a plurality of sound output devices, respectively, being combined, a player is allowed to hear a sound as intended by a sound creator in both a case where headphones are worn and a case where headphones are not worn.